Venetian blinds



7, 1956 c. w. RICE :TAL 2,757,726

VENETIAN BLINDS Filed May 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l J5 'INVIJNTORS tfiagls Bl ATTEI RN EYS Aug. 7, 1956 Filed May 25, 1954 C. W. RICE ET AL VENETVIAN BLINDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 em W y kzziimsi fim e ATTDRN EYS United States Patent VENETIAN BLINDS Charles W. Rice and Richard S. Meade, Union City, Ind. Application May 25, 1954,.Serial No. 432,208 1 Claim. '(Cl. 160-115) This invention relates to .a Venetian blind.

The object of the invention is to provide a Venetian blind which is constructed so that the slats or blades may be independently tilted or adjusted relative to each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Venetian blind which includes a tilting and regulating mechanism that is arranged above aplurality of slats, the slats being divided into two groups whereby each of. the groups can be tilted independently of each other and wherein all of the slats can be raised by manipulation-of acable or cord.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved Venetian blind which is constructed so that the amount of light passing through the top or bottom of the blind can be regulated whereby the blind is especially suitable for use in schools, hospitals or .other buildings where .top lights are desired but wherein it is desired to cut out the view into the room, since this is accomplished by opening the top half of .the blind and closingthe lower half .of the blind. Y I

Another object of the invention is to provide :a Venetian blind wherein all of the group of slats :below a predetermined slat can be tilted independently of the remaining slats of the blind, there being a manually operablemeans for simultaneously tilting allot theslats in the same general direction or else tilting the slats independently of each other. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a Venetian blind which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used .to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a front elevational-view of the Venetian blind, constructed according to the present invention, and with parts broken away and in section, .and showing the lower group of slats closed and the upper group .of slats open. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the regulatingmechanism, and with parts broken away and in j section.

v Figure 3 is a sectional viewta'ken on the line 3- 3 of Figure 1, showing the upper slats open andjthe lower slats closed.

Figure 4 is a sectional view'ta'ken on the line '44 of Figure 1, and showing the upper group of slats closed and the lower group of slats open.

Figure '5 is a sectional view Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line. 6--6 of Figure 4. v i i Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through the lower roller.

Referring in detail to the drawings,'.the numeral "10 designates a conventional window frame which includes side rails 11, a bottom piece 12, and a top member 14, Figure 1. The present invention is directed to a Venetian blind which includes a hollow housing that is secured taken on the line '55 of 2,757,726 i atehted Aug. 7, 1956 between the upper ends of the rails 11, and the hollow housing 15 can be made of any suitable material such as metal or plastic. The housing 15 includes a front wall 16 .and a rear wall 17, and there is further provided a bottom wall 18, Figure 3.

The Venetian blind of the present invention includes an upper set or group of slats 20, and a lower group of slats 19. These two sets of slats can be tilted independently of each other or else they can be simultaneously later described in this applitilted in the same direction as cation. The regulating means for tilting the slats is housed within the housing or casing .15. Each single slat may be made of any suitable material such as metal or plastic, and a single slat is indicated by the numeral 28. Positioned below the lowermost of the slats 28 is a bottom piece 21 which may be made of any suitable material such as wood, Figures 3 and 4. For tilting the slats, there is positioned in the housing 15 an upper roller 22 and a lower roller 23. A friction brake and support member 24 is positioned in the housing for maintaining the rollers 22 and '23 immobile in their adjusted positions, and the friction brake 24 is secured in place by suitable securing elements such as rivets 25 which extend through the .bottom wall 18 of the housing 15. The friction :brake 24 includes a lower arcuate portion 26 which frictionally engages the roller 23, and the brake 24 further includes a second or upper arcuate portion 27 which frictionally engages the bottom of the upper roller 22. These arcuate surfaces prevent accidental rotation of the rollers 22 and 23', but permit the rollers 22 and 23 to be rotated when sufficient manual pressure is applied to the cords which are arranged in engagement with pulleys on the ends of the rollers.

Positioned in the housing 15 and secured thereto in any suitable manner is a pair of vertically disposed brackets 29 which each have a substantially .U-shape. Each of the brackets '29 includes an end section 3.0 and spaced parallel side sections 31. The end section 30 of each bracket 29 is provided with a pair of openings for receiving therein trunnions 32 which extend from each end of the rollers 22 and 23 and this construction permits the rollers 22 and 23 to be rotated or turned in the housing. Caps 33 are provided for closing the ends of the housing 15.

The upper roller 22 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 34, and a ,pair of flexible tapes 35 each have their upper portion secured to the roller 22 by means of pins 36 which serve to wedge portions of the tape 35 within the slot 34. The lower ends of the tapes 35 are secured to'the bottom piece 21 by a suitable securing element such as a nail or pin 37. The lower roller 23 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 38, and a pair of flexible tapes 39 each have 'a portion secured within the slot 38 by means of pins 40. Thus, as .the roller 22 is rotated, the tapes '35 will move, and as the roller .23 is rotated thetapes 39'will be moved. The tapes 39 may be positioned directly beneath or between the runs of the tapes 35.

Formed integral with an end of the roller '22 or secured; pulley 41, Figure 5. An endless cable q orcord 42 is trained over the pulley '41, and the cable oralso trained over "guide pulleys 47 and guide cord 42 project: downwa'rdlythrough an opening 46 in the bottom wallltl; of the housing '15,, and the pulleys 44 and 45,1nay be encased in asuitable casing 43 that issecured within the housing. The pulley 41 may be secured to one of the trunnions '32 on the upper roller, 22 and a pin 48 may thereto is a cord 41 is pulleys 44 and 45. The ends of the extend through a portion of the pulley 41 and through the corresponding trunnion.

Suitable knobs may be positioned on the lower ends of the cord 42 to facilitate manual gripping thereof. Thus,

by selectively moving or pulling on one of the runs of 3 the cord 42, the roller 22 can be rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction sinceportions of the cord 42 engage the pulley 41 which is secured to the upper roller. Then, since the tapes 35 are secured to the roller 22, this movement of the roller will cause tilting of the lower group of slats 19 in a desired direction.

For rotating the lower roller 23, a pulley 49 is secured to an end of the lower roller 23 in any suitable manner, and a cord 50 is trained over the pulley 49, Figure 2. The runs of the cord 50 are also trained over guide pulleys 51 and 52, and the pulley 52 may be positioned in a casing 53. Thus, by pulling on the cord 50, the slats in the upper group of slats can be tilted to a desired angle independent of the group of slats 19, since the tapes 39 are secured to the lower roller 23. Suitable strips of flexible material 54 may extend between the front and rear portions of each of the tapes and 39, and these strips 54 may be secured to the tapes in any suitable manner, as for example by stitching or by the use of an adhesive.

A means is provided for raising all of the slats, and this means comprises a cable or cord 55 which is trained over guide pulleys 56 that are mounted in a casing 57, Figure 2. The runs of the cable 55 then pass downwardly through suitable openings in the bottom wall 18 of the housing, and the runs of the cable 55 are trained over guide pulleys 58, Figure 7. Each of the slats 28 is provided with a slot or opening 59 through which projects portions of the cable 55, and the ends of the cable 55 are secured to the bottom piece 21 in any suitable manner. Thus, when a downward pressure is exerted on the exposed portion of the cable 55 as shown in Figure l, the bottom piece 21 will be raised and continued pressure on the cable 55 will result in all of the slats being elevated or raised to a desired position. A conventional keeper or locking mechanism 60 may be provided for frictionally engaging portions of the cable 55 to maintain the slats immobile 'in their various adjusted positions. A body member 61 having beads or balls 62 on each end thereof interconnects the lowermost slat in the group of slats 20 to the uppermost slat in the group of slats 19 and this body member 61 serves Lil to maintain the groups of slats in their proper aligned 1 position with respect to each other.

From the foregoing it is apparent that there has been provided a Venetian blind which includes an upper group of slats 20 and a lower group of slats 19 that can be tilted independently of each other. Thus, by pulling on the cord 50, the roller 23 will be rotated whereby the tapes 39 will be moved to thereby cause the upper group of slats 20 to tilt, to a desired angle. This tilting takes place independent of the lower group of slats 19. To tilt the lower group of slats 19, it is only necessary to manually grip and pull the cord 42 whereby the upper roller 22 will be rotated to thus cause movement of the outer tapes 35. When the tapes 35 or the tapes 39 are moved, the slats 28 will also be tilted due to the tapes 54. Also, all of the slats 28 can be raised or lowered by means of the cable 55 and portions of the cable 55 extend down through openings 59 in the slats 28 and the cable 55 is secured to the bottom piece 21. The keeper 60 will maintain the slats immobile in their various elevated or adjusted positions. The friction brake 24 will apply just enough friction to the rollers 22 and 23 to prevent accidental rotation thereof, but the rollers can still be rotated by applying tension on the cords or 42.

The cord or cable operates in the same manner as do other similar cords for raising and lowering slats, but now there is provided two cords 50 and 42 for tilting independently the upper and lower groups of slats. The present invention is especially suitable for use in schools,

hospitals, or other buildings since the amount of light passing through the. top or bottom of the Venetian blind can be easily controlled. Thus, the slats of the blind can be arranged to either cover the entire window or else light can be permitted only to come in through the top or bottom of the window. By actuating both cords 42 and 50 at the same time the slats can be tilted simultaneously, and the brake 24 holds the slats immobile in their adjusted position.

We claim:

A Venetian blind comprising a horizontally disposed housing embodying a horizontally disposed bottom wall and spaced parallel front and rear walls, a pair of spaced parallel vertically disposed U-shaped brackets positioned in said housing and each including an end section and a pair of spaced parallel side sections, each of said end sections being provided with a pair of openings, a first and second superimposed spaced parallel roller each having trunnions journaled in the openings in the end sections of said brackets, a friction brake secured to the bottom wall of said housing and including upper and lower arcuate portions frictionally engagingsaid rollers for maintaining said rollers immobile in their adjusted positions, said arcuate portions being arranged in superimposed relation with respect to each other, securing elements extending through said friction brake and through the bottom wall of said housing, there being a longitudinally extending slot in each of said rollers, a plurality of adjustable slats positioned below said rollers, said slats including an upper set and a lower set, said upper and lower sets of slats adapted to be tilted independently of each other, a bottom piece positioned below said slats, a first pair of flexible tapes each surrounding said slats and having their lower ends secured to said bottom piece and their upper ends secured in the slot in said upper roller, a second pair of flexible tapes having their upper ends secured in the slot in said lower roller and their lower ends surrounding only the slats of the upper set of slats. pins serving to wedge portions of the tapes within the slots, said second tapes being positioned directly beneath or between the runs of the first tapes, said second pair of tapes being positioned directly below said first pair of tapes, flexible strips interconnecting the front and rear runs of said tapes together and positioned below said slats, a pulley mounted on an end of each of said rollers, a casing surrounding said pulleys, a cord trained over each of said pulleys for independently rotating said pulleys and rollers, knobs on the lower ends of said cords, guide rollers arranged in engagement with said cords, manually operable cables extending through said slats and connected to said bottom piece for raising and lowering said slats, there being registering openings in said slats and in the bottom wall of said housing for the passage therethrough of said last named cables, and a body member including balls on each end thereof interconnecting the lowermost slat in the upper group of slats to the uppermost slat in the lower group of slats for maintaining the groups of slats in their proper aligned position with respect to each other, said I arcuate portions preventing accidental rotation of the rollers, but permitting the rollers to be rotated when suflicient manual pressure is applied to the cords which are arranged in engagement with the pulleys on the ends of the rollers.

2,706,522 White Apr. 19, 

